Seymour Duncan wiring

Tele with two humbuckers and a push/pull tone that splits both

Two humbuckers · Three-way blade · One push/pull volume · One push/pull tone (split both)

Neck and bridge Seymour Duncan humbuckers on a Tele three-way blade, one 250k push/pull volume and one 250k push/pull tone with a .047 µF capacitor. The tone push/pull grounds both pickups' series links; the volume push/pull switch is unused.

Tele with two humbuckers and a push/pull tone that splits bothTele with two humbuckers and a push/pull tone that splits both: Two humbuckers · Three-way blade · One push/pull volume · One push/pull tone (split both). Original Tinkercaster drawing with labelled terminals.Neck pickupNeck pickupBridge pickupBridge pickup3-Way Blade SwitchVolume 250k push/pull · 250k250kTone 250k push/pull · 250k250k.047 cap · 47nF47nFOutput JackBridge Ground WireblackgreenwhiteredbareblackgreenwhiteredbareT1T2T3T4T5T6T7T8lug1lug2lug3sw1sw2sw3sw4sw5sw6lug1lug2lug3sw1sw2sw3sw4sw5sw6abtipsleeveground

Viewed from the back of the controls, as you solder them. Open the interactive diagram to zoom, move components and try the switches.

Parts and values

In the drawingValuePart
Neck pickupSource: Seymour Duncan Neck Pickup—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
Bridge pickupSource: Seymour Duncan Bridge Pickup—Humbucker (four-conductor, Seymour Duncan colours)Generic
3-Way Blade SwitchSource: 3-Way Switch—CRL 3-Way BladeExample part
Volume 250k push/pull250k250k Push-Pull DPDTExample part
Tone 250k push/pull250k250k Push-Pull DPDTExample part
.047 cap47nFOrange Drop .047µFExample part
Output Jack—Switchcraft #11Example part
Bridge Ground WireSource: Bridge ground wire—Bridge ground wireGeneric

“Example part” means any part with the same value and lugs will do; the source does not name a brand. “Generic” stands in for an unspecified pickup: check your own pickup's lead colours before you solder.

Specific to this wiring

  • Both pots are printed as 250k push/pull; only the tone switch is wired for coil split.
  • Each pickup's red and white leads are soldered together onto a middle lug of the tone push/pull: neck on one side, bridge on the other.
  • The two push/pull lugs nearest the pot are jumpered and wired to the tone casing.
  • The volume push/pull switch lugs stay empty.
  • The source does not number the switch positions; the lugs are mapped by what they do (neck, both, bridge).
  • Jack legend: Tip (hot output); Sleeve (ground), the inner, circular portion of the jack.

Connections

In soldering order: grounds first, then the switch, the pickups and the signal path.

#FromToHow
1Neck pickup greenVolume 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casinggreen
2Neck pickup bareVolume 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casingbare
3Bridge pickup greenVolume 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casinggreen
4Bridge pickup bareVolume 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casingbare
5Volume 250k push/pull lug1Volume 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casing
6.047 cap bTone 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casingblack
7Volume 250k push/pull casingTone 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casingblack
8Tone 250k push/pull casingOutput Jack sleeveTo a pot casingblack
9Tone 250k push/pull sw4Tone 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casingblack
10Bridge Ground WireVolume 250k push/pull casingTo a pot casingblack
11Neck pickup black3-Way Blade Switch T8Wireblack
12Bridge pickup black3-Way Blade Switch T4Wireblack
133-Way Blade Switch T33-Way Blade Switch T2Jumperblack
143-Way Blade Switch T23-Way Blade Switch T6Jumperblack
153-Way Blade Switch T63-Way Blade Switch T5Jumperblack
163-Way Blade Switch T5Volume 250k push/pull lug3Wireblack
17Neck pickup whiteTone 250k push/pull sw5Wirewhite
18Neck pickup redTone 250k push/pull sw5Wirered
19Bridge pickup whiteTone 250k push/pull sw2Wirewhite
20Bridge pickup redTone 250k push/pull sw2Wirered
21Volume 250k push/pull lug2Output Jack tipWireblack
22Volume 250k push/pull lug3Tone 250k push/pull lug1Wireblack
23Tone 250k push/pull lug2.047 cap aWireblack
24Tone 250k push/pull sw1Tone 250k push/pull sw4Jumperblack

What each position does

SettingThe sourceEngine result
Position 1 p4=down p5=downEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (both coils).
Position 1 p4=down p5=upEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (split to one coil).
Position 1 p4=up p5=downEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (both coils).
Position 1 p4=up p5=upEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (split to one coil).
Position 2 p4=down p5=downEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Position 2 p4=down p5=upEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Position 2 p4=up p5=downEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (both coils) and Bridge pickup (both coils) in parallel.
Position 2 p4=up p5=upEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Neck pickup (split to one coil) and Bridge pickup (split to one coil) in parallel.
Position 3 p4=down p5=downEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Bridge pickup (both coils).
Position 3 p4=down p5=upEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Bridge pickup (split to one coil).
Position 3 p4=up p5=downEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Bridge pickup (both coils).
Position 3 p4=up p5=upEngine reading; unused volume push-pull shaft included for completeness.Bridge pickup (split to one coil).

Checked with the Tinkercaster wiring engine against the switching the source describes.

  • Hum cancelling and phase describe the generic pickup models, not a measurement of any specific Seymour Duncan model.
  • The source does not say which knob position splits; this follows the usual push/pull behaviour (pulled joins the middle lugs to the lugs nearest the pot).

Before you solder

Ticks are kept in this browser only, as a reminder. They are not a check of your joints. New to soldering? Read the soldering cheat sheet.

Check before plugging in

  • Knob down: each blade position reads the selected full pickup(s).
  • Knob up: the humbucker(s) on the push/pull drop to roughly one coil.
  • With the volume at zero, tip and sleeve should read as a short in every position.

Measure across the output jack with a multimeter on its resistance range. No exact readings are given where the source does not specify the pickups.